Category: Micro STEM 2018

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Friday: Homemade Batteries

On our final day of Micro STEM, the campers made their own batteries! First campers made a hand battery. The hand battery works with a piece of aluminum and a copper sheet, which are conductors. They used their own body’s electric charge by placing a hand on each of the plates, then measured the electrical output with a multi-meter.

Ask your student:

What materials did you use for the aluminum air battery? Aluminum foil, paper towel, salt water, and activated charcoal.

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Thursday: Magnifying Investigations

Today, the investigation of different kinds of magnifying devices continued. Students got the chance to go outside and collect various samples of their choice. After collection, the samples were brought inside to be analyzed with a compound light microscope. Students also reviewed the various parts of a compound microscope, and the importance of each part in the function of the microscope as a whole.

Ask your student:

What similarities and differences did you notice when you were using the different tools for magnification (MicroPhone lens, hand lens, compound light microscope, and stereoscope)?

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Wednesday: Ionic Compounds

Today, in Micro STEM, the students built upon their knowledge of atoms and ions as they used their own bodies to represent atoms and ions that bond to form ionic compounds. The students played a game where they were challenged to find a partner “match” to create an ionic compound with a net charge of zero. Also, today in Micro STEM, the students built simple ionic compounds and then created crystalline structures with the whole class.

Ask your student:

To create a neutral ionic compound with a Sodium ion (+1 charge), what charge would the other ion have to be? (-1 charge)

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Tuesday: Applied Circuitry

Today, the campers continued working on their hand fans! Now that their main design had been sketched and the handle and main body was build, the budding electrical engineers could start with the circuitry and wiring. Using a small motor, a battery pack, and lots of wires, the campers finally got the head of the fan to move! We can’t wait to see their final projects tomorrow once they add lights and complete the design.

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Monday: Bacteria Among Us

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Students began a two day project today, investigating bacteria that surrounds us. Each student will test their own fingers, and each group of 4 students could pick up to 8 different surfaces to see what kinds of bacteria live there. Alternatively, the students could choose to see what happened to the bacteria from the same surface with some sort of treatment (applying hand sanitizer, soap, etc.). Students were given the chance to make a hypothesis about what they expect to see on their plates. Later on this week, the students will use a microscope to look at the results of their samples, and test their hypotheses.

Ask your student:

If bacteria surrounds us, why don’t we get sick more often? (Not all bacteria are pathogenic (disease causing))

What are some examples of places where good bacteria are found? (Almost anywhere has some amount of good bacteria, some examples would be in our intestines and mouth)

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Friday: Homemade Batteries

On our final day of Micro STEM, the campers made their own batteries! First campers made a hand battery. The hand battery works with a piece of aluminum and a copper sheet, which are conductors. They used their own body’s electric charge by placing a hand on each of the plates, then measured the electrical output with a multi-meter.

Ask your student:

What materials did you use for the aluminum air battery? Aluminum foil, paper towel, salt water, and activated charcoal.

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Thursday: Magnifying Investigations

Today, the investigation of different kinds of magnifying devices continued. Students got the chance to go outside and collect various samples of their choice. After collection, the samples were brought inside to be analyzed with a compound light microscope. Students also reviewed the various parts of a compound microscope, and the importance of each part in the function of the microscope as a whole.

Ask your student:

What similarities and differences did you notice when you were using the different tools for magnification (MicroPhone lens, hand lens, compound light microscope, and stereoscope)?

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Wednesday: Ionic Compounds

Today, in Micro STEM, the students built upon their knowledge of atoms and ions as they used their own bodies to represent atoms and ions that bond to form ionic compounds. The students played a game where they were challenged to find a partner “match” to create an ionic compound with a net charge of zero. Also, today in Micro STEM, the students built simple ionic compounds and then created crystalline structures with the whole class.

Ask your student:

To create a neutral ionic compound with a Sodium ion (+1 charge), what charge would the other ion have to be? (-1 charge)

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Tuesday: Applied Circuitry

Today, the campers continued working on their hand fans! Now that their main design had been sketched and the handle and main body was build, the budding electrical engineers could start with the circuitry and wiring. Using a small motor, a battery pack, and lots of wires, the campers finally got the head of the fan to move! We can’t wait to see their final projects tomorrow once they add lights and complete the design.

Micro STEM @ Aurora – Monday: Bacteria Among Us

Students began a two day project today, investigating bacteria that surrounds us. Each student will test their own fingers, and each group of 4 students could pick up to 8 different surfaces to see what kinds of bacteria live there. Alternatively, the students could choose to see what happened to the bacteria from the same surface with some sort of treatment (applying hand sanitizer, soap, etc.). Students were given the chance to make a hypothesis about what they expect to see on their plates. Later on this week, the students will use a microscope to look at the results of their samples, and test their hypotheses.

Ask your student:

If bacteria surrounds us, why don’t we get sick more often? (Not all bacteria are pathogenic (disease causing))

What are some examples of places where good bacteria are found? (Almost anywhere has some amount of good bacteria, some examples would be in our intestines and mouth)

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